The X-Files as Philosophy: Navigating the “Truth Out There”

A careful examination of Darin Morgan’s The X-Files episodes shows that they engage the philosophical process regarding the nature and existence of objective truth, whether it can be known, and if it does exist, whether it’s worthwhile to relentlessly pursue it. Morgan’s arguments have connections to some of Nietzsche’s views, but their significance is grounded in their cinematic expression, including how they utilize the Fox Morgan and Dana Scully characters to critique The X-Files mantra “the truth is out there” and the corresponding imperative to seek those truths. In this way, and reminiscent of Socrates, Morgan works within a framework only to critique it; even if Morgan’s arguments fail to convince, they remain significant due to their cinematic nature and the philosophical discussion they engender.